Oral Hygiene Awareness among Family Members of Dental Students in Melmaruvathur, Tamil Nadu – A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: A family-oriented oral health promotion is promising because family unit serves as resource as well as priority group needing preventive and curative services across the life course.

Aim and Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess the oral health awareness among the family members of dental students in Melmaruvathur, Tamilnadu.

Materials and Methods: Forty undergraduate dental students were selected through simple random sampling method and trained for providing oral health education to their family members. Oral hygiene practice among the family members were assessed by using 15 item closed ended questionnaire before and after providing oral health education. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used for statistical analysis.

Results: A total of 243 family members were involved in the study with a mean age of 38.4 ± 15.37 years. Most of them (95.3%) were aware of using toothbrush and toothpaste to clean their teeth. More than half of the study population (56.5%) did not use any other oral hygiene aids. Their oral hygiene awareness increased after the oral health education.

Conclusion: Though the present study population had good oral hygiene awareness, they did not use other interdental aids in addition to tooth brushing. Nearly 31% had not visited a dentist even though each of them have a dental student in their family. The emerging dentists should be taught about the importance of their role in improving the oral health condition of the community..